Sam Henderson
MacGown Art Artist in Residence Sam Henderson (17 May to 8 June, 2026)
BIO
Sam is a ceramicist and painter who has lived in Mississippi all his life. Sam states, “I have always felt a deep need to create, whether that be pots, paintings, tools, and all kinds of contraptions. So, with that drive and no half measures in 2024, I swapped from studying engineering to fully focus on the art that had always been at the core of my being.” Without access to formal art classes or any wider outside cognizance of the art world, Sam honed his own unorthodox workflow and style creating ceramics in a barn in Vaiden, MS. In mid 2024, Sam made a major step into the world of ceramics when he began apprenticing under Oxford based potter Yerger Andre. Sam is currently in the ceramics program at Northwest Community College and plans to transfer to MUW in the fall of 2026.
“I love to create and have such an appreciation for the arresting beauty that sits right outside most people's doors. With the frantic nature of modern life, if I can make something that people can stop for a second and really feel the same shock and awe and appreciation that something can be so beautiful even for a second. then I have done my job.”
WEBSITES AND SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Instagram Art: https://www.instagram.com/sammasterw0rkman
FaceBook: https://www.facebook.com/sam.henderson.165685
Media/Interview Links
Commercial Dispatch Interview: https://cdispatch.com/lifestyles/from-creek-clay-to-fine-ceramics-a-young-artist-finds-his-path/
Porch Talk Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3zLVvG7hZdD9a7Rc1CZEWb?si=nLYpJD-zTYK8Wpxi0dbEBA
Porch Talk Podcast:
Comments about the Residency by Sam Henderson (2026)
I can’t’ understate how much my time at MARS helped my artistic journey. The amount of community support and number of opportunities that I was given cannot be understated. Being there really let me really cut out the outside world and fully focus on what I love to do.
Being able to field ideas, explore new things, and getting to relax in rural Mississippi made this a really invaluable experience for me. Taking that time to focus on my art and then seeing that that people enjoy what i do was a huge confidence boost.